Saturdays Hunt

D

David Allen

Active member
My son Philip (11 years old) and I met up with forum member Jeff Reardon for a hunt on a local lake. While not the most productive days hunting, I did have a few things re-enforced in my mind.


We met up and proceeded to the launch. We found that we were by no means the first one on the lake, so Jeff picked out a location that had produced in the past under different weather conditions. Lesson 1 re-enforced - Get there early to get the good spots. Nice spot but the calm weather meant that not many duck were flying. We did have a couple of golden eyes pass by, and some other duck that were flying like divers go by, so we threw out a few golden eye dekes outside the puddlers we where hoping for. Not long after that were had a small group of golden eyes come in and put the landing gear down. We let Phil take the lead and he knocked one down. Jeff and I backed up Phil. I know I put two or three follow-up shot onto that bird but is still dove and swam off. Jeff and Phil gave pursuit and finished him off.


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When they came back we noticed that someone had set up beside us. He proceeded to rain some shot around our decoys, said that he was shooting a cripple. Strange in that when ever I swat a cripple on the water the shot lands near the duck I am shooting not well beyond it. We were safe but it is still not comforting to have shot coming your way. Shortly there after the sun came out of the clouds and was blinding. This gave us a good reason to leave the area and look for another spot. Lesson #2 re-enforced - There is always someone willing to set up closer to you than what you consider right.


We explored a few possible coves, but not many duck seen until we hit one marshy cove. Wow, we pushed a ton of ducks and geese out of that cove. unfortunately, there was no good way to hunt the area with the boat we were in. So we filed that location away as one to consider on a different day with a different boat. We continued to explore the lake but in spite of looking at several promising areas there where just no birds to be had. So we brain stormed how we could possibly hunt the cove where the bird were. I thought we could go in and drop Phil and Jeff off and they could hide behind a big stump on a muskrat house. Jeff though Phil and I should hunt together so the plan was adjusted to drop the two of us off with a plan to switch after a few ducks. This was definitely the x on the lake that day. We had bird working the dekes as we were still putting them out. With a pocket full of shells off Phil and I headed off to the intended hide. Well nope that was not to be, the bottom turned into wader sucking soup up past my knees and growing deeper. So we shifted and sat atop a small stump. No cover at all. There were birds that still wanted to be there and Phil and I both took a duck but we were just way to exposed and now cold. We waved Jeff over offered to swap locations but Jeff saw what we did that that we were just way too exposed. Lesson 3 Re-enforced - There is no substitute for being on the X. Even in the without any cover the bird still wanted to be there.


We picked up and headed back to the launch. Lesson 4 re-enforced - even a bad day of hunting is still a great day when you are hunting with good people.


Only three birds were taken with three hunters, but the day was still a great day.
 
Good post...and any day hunting w Jeff will be a good day.

Hutch

But probably not include many ducks.

Dave and Phil are both gentlemen. I had a ball watching them trying to hide in the wide open, with ducks working overhead and all around them but just a little too wary to set down in range. They did well to come out of that with two ducks--and Phil has clearly learned from Dave that when ducks are in sight, you do not move a muscle. I wish I could do as well . . . . .

As for the other hunter who set up near us, I'm still not sure what happened. After the shot rained on our decoys, I went over to talk to him. I started by saying that I was sorry if we'd come in on top of him, but we didn't see or hear him there. (He was 80-100 yards from us.) He said he'd flashed a light at us, but when we went around the corner and set up, decided it would be OK. I sure never saw a flashing light, and I was looking hard at that spot, because he was set up on a big chunk of ledge I wanted to make sure we didn't hit in the dark. But who knows who was really first. By the time we saw he was there we had the rising sun right in our eyes anyway, and if he hadn't been there we might not have found the sweet spot with all the birds.

I didn't see him until Phil and I went out in the boat after the cripple.
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One thing to add--Phillip did an excellent job of passing up a shot at merganser that flew right into the decoys--literally on a straight line from the far side of the lake. Most youngsters would have shot that bird, then asked what it was. He's clearly had a good mentor.
 
Was there anything special about that whistler? Looks a little different to me? Or am I seeing things?
 
I think it was just the angle he was holding it. It looked like a normal mature drake golden eye in hand.
Hate to say it but Phil took more duck than Jeff and I as well, but I attribute that to the older gentleman letting him take the first shot.
 
David & Jeff~

Do my eyes deceive me or is Phillip's Whistler a Barrows? Do you get them often in the Pine Tree State?

All the best,

SJS
 
Yes we get them, but I believe this was a common Golden Eye. This was not taken in an area where they could be expected and looked like a normal Golden Eye to me.
 
Steve, I see what you're looking at in the photo, but it may be the way Phillip is holding the bird. I never had the bird in hand and didn't get a close look at it, so I'll defer to David on the ID.

Barrows are rare here, and if shot must be reported to our DIFW. David is right that the area we were hunting is not one of those where they are commonly reported. It's also pretty early--we mostly see them overwintering here, and mostly on the coast and larger rivers that stay ice free. They're occasionally seen in November, but mostly not until real winter sets in, and then usually in a handful of well-known places.
 
Congratulations Phillip.
The wing does look very Barrow-ish but then flying in I wouldn't be able to tell only ever seeing Commons.

Tim
 
ID confirmed. It was a Barrows. It was identified by a bioligist working for the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, so I have notified the proper authorities. The bioligist shared with me that this is the first Barrows that he has been notified of that was taken on a lake.

30 years of ethical hunting and trying to teach my son to be ethical and now this. Well at least my son now see that if you screw up you stand up and try to make it right.

Thanks to those how correctly IDed the bird and sorry to all the ethical hunters. I will endever to do better and teach my son correctly.
 
ID confirmed. It was a Barrows. It was identified by a bioligist working for the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, so I have notified the proper authorities. The bioligist shared with me that this is the first Barrows that he has been notified of that was taken on a lake.

30 years of ethical hunting and trying to teach my son to be ethical and now this. Well at least my son now see that if you screw up you stand up and try to make it right.

Thanks to those how correctly IDed the bird and sorry to all the ethical hunters. I will endever to do better and teach my son correctly.
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Thanks for following up - a lot of guys would not have.
 
Congratulations, Phillip. Not only that but to now know that you ended up taking a pretty rare specimen in your area, the Barrow's, makes that hunt all the more special.
Al
 
I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. That has to be one of the harder situations there is. Especially in an area where you don't expect to see them.

Tim
 
You notified the biologists.....do they take the bird from you? Or are they just wanting to know when/where kind of thing?
 
A barrows is listed a Threatened in Maine. The procedure is to notify the biologists or game warden and turn in the duck. In my case I work with the local biologist so I contacted him. We had already processed and eaten the duck so it did not get turned in. I just got things cleared up with that today. Everyone was very, professional, nice and understanding. It was stressful on me, but that was just the way I am wired not with the great folks from the state.
 
Was there anything special about that whistler? Looks a little different to me? Or am I seeing things?
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That's why I was hinting. Maine is a little different than most when it comes to Barrows. Don't need anything coming back to bite us down the road. I hunt ground zero for Barrows in Maine and it's a bit nerve wracking. I was lucky enough to get a Common/Barrows Hybrid prior to the law change.
 
I would encourage you to speak with the local biologist and or warden. It was very nerve wracking for me but that is the way I am wired. I spoke with two biologist and both were absolutely awesome. They both spent time speaking to me and easing my nerves. More importantly they provided great advise for may talks with my son. They both made it clear that an insidental take was not going to effect the population. One told me out right that the only way I could be sure to not takle a Barrows was to stop shooting golden eyes, or to wait until they were on the water and water swat them. He made it very clear that he though both were unaccepatble options. The first be cause they encourage responcible hunting of the common golden eye, and the second because of the unacceptable crippling of birds with a water swat.
 
Yeah, I'm not nervous about an incidental..I would be nervous if I shot one and didn't report it though.
 
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